Chapter 17

Maria looked around the area they were in and then back to Shadow. Who or what ever screamed liked that, it echoed around the city.

"What was that?" she asked, expecting the black hedgehog to have an answer.

"I don't know and I am not intending to stay to find out," He said quite blankly to her. He looked at her. Her face looked had an expression of worry, panic and confusion.

"Something's wrong," she said, trying to get a feel of the situation is. It felt like there was an energy that was so chaotic and then was very slowly drifting away.

"We need to leave," Shadow told her, bringing her back to her senses. She stared at him.

"No!" she shouted, "Shadow something is wrong. Terribly wrong! It's chaotic energy!"

She paused, trying to come to a better conclusion on why this energy was so chaotic.

"...because it's Chaos energy," she said to herself. She looked at Shadow again and everything started to click into place. Her eyes widen as fear started to take effect.

"Maria, we need to get out before we get caught," Shadow said trying to reason with her. She had tears in her eyes.

"I can't leave. Not until I know for sure."

"Alright," Shadow sighed. Maria hugged him tight.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Just...tell me where the energy is coming from?"

-XXX-

Sonic laid on the ground heaving. His eyes burned from crying over the pain. He tried to wriggle free again from the trap but all that did was make the pain worse and worse. He looked back at his leg. It had been ripped and shredded in any way possible.

"Well not the hedgehog I wanted but you'll work."

Sonic tried his best to look back. He caught a glimpse of the Commander walking towards him. Oh how he wished he could get away.

The Commander turned him on to his back, picked him up by his neck and pushed him into a wall.

"Where is she?" he demanded. His eyes almost seeming to be popping out of his head.

"Where's who?" Sonic asked in confusion. That resulted with his face being punched and thrown back to the ground with a heavy thump. Everything was starting to hurt.

"Where is she?!" the Commander screamed. He was now over to Sonic's left leg, holding it so tightly that Sonic couldn't get him off of it even if he tried.

"I don't know," he whimpered, giving the Commander his honest answer. He didn't know where Maria went, that's why he got himself into this mess in the first place.

But his answer didn't satisfy the Commander. He felt the snapping of his bones and could feel the Commander twisting his leg into and unusual position. Sonic screamed again in anguish.

"You are either going to tell where she is hedgehog or you are going to die as a result," the Commander spat. He had pulled out his pistol and shot, hitting Sonic in his chest .

Sonic gasped. It felt like someone had stuck a extremely hot knife into his chest on the right side. His eyesight blurred and started to go dark.

"I just want to go home," he mumbled. It almost didn't sound like his voice to him as he started to drift into unconsciousness. The Commander brought the pistol to Sonic's head.

"Your kind is pathetic," he stated.

"Chaos Spear."

The Commander didn't have time to pull the trigger when the spear hit him, knocking him out cold. Maria's outstretched hand being the one to have pulled it out, Shadow staring at her in bewilderment that she could pull it out and so coldly at that.

It didn't matter at that time. Maria did what she could to protect her friend. She ran over to Sonic's limp body, looking over the damage that been caused.

"He's been shot," Maria stammered out, tears flowing down her face. She looked over at Shadow who was busy getting the trap off of Sonic's right leg.

"Hold him," Shadow ordered, and Maria obeyed.

"Chaos Control!"

And in a flash, the three were out of there leaving the Commander alone.

-XXX-

They ended up at the train station that had been completely empty at this time. Maria looked over at Shadow wanting answers on what they should do now. The blue hedgehog had finally gone unconscious.

"Shadow," Maria said in a panic, her hands stained red as she tried desperately to help her friend. She looked over to Shadow, her eyes a mess from tears.

"I can't leave him here in this shape Shadow. I can't," she admitted, her eyes puffy from crying. Shadow came and sat down beside her.

"I know you can't," he sighed, "That's not in your nature."

They could hear a vehicle pulling up and stopping.

"Stay here," He hissed. Maria nodded and stayed put as Shadow went to check on what was here.

-XXX-

"What makes you think they would go to the train station?" Knuckles asked.

"Because I know Shadow," Rouge told him.

"We're here," Nokia sighed parking her vehicle. They all started to get out the car looking around when Rouge spotted movement from the station's doors.

"SHADOW!" she shouted when she saw the hedgehog. She ran over to him and hugged him.

"Rouge?" He questioned, surprised to see the bat. He looked over her shoulder to see Tails, Knuckles and Amy with Nokia running up.

"Don't let them in," He yelled pointing over to Tails and Amy.

"Shadow, what...?" Rouge asked confused. She looked him over seeing if anything was wrong .

That's when she notice his gloves were stained red.

"Shadow, what happened?" Rouge asked. He didn't answer. The rest had finally caught up to Rouge and were noticing that something was very wrong.

"Is that...blood?" Tails asked. Shadow still didn't answer. He looked over at Nokia.

"You need to go in," he told her.

"Okay," Nokia said with a nod. She looked at the other four.

"I need you guys back to the car," She ordered, "Rouge, I need you to get the backpack and the first aid kit that's in the trunk and bring it in."

No one said a thing, for everyone was thinking it was unfair. They wanted to know what happened.

"That's an order!" Nokia snapped. They all nodded and slowly started their walk back to the car.

"I'll tell you what I see when I get in," Rouge whispered to them.

-XXX-

"Please wake up," Maria whispered softly to the blue hedgehog. His breathing was raspy and quick. She heard the doors opening revealing Shadow and with Nokia, whose face drained of colour from the site.

There was blood all across the floor where Maria was sitting with Sonic. Nokia looked down at Shadow.

"Well I can see why you didn't want the other three in here," She told him.

"The echidna would have fine," he stated, "it the other two I would be far more worried about. Especially the fox."

"Okay I've got the stuff," Rouge said coming in. She looked over at the other two.

"What are you two staring at? There's nothing inter-Holy crap what happened?!"

She noticed Maria holding the mangled mess that was Sonic the Hedgehog. His right leg was ripped to shreds and his left leg was in a very abnormal angle. She scanned up his body to see the hole on the right side of his chest pouring out blood.

"Was he shot?" Rouge said in shock, looking over at Shadow. He nodded.

"Who shoots Sonic the Hedgehog?!"

"The Commander," Shadow uttered with disgust .

"Maria," Nokia said as she bent down and grabbed her by the shoulders. Maria looked up, eyes still filled with tears.

"Maria, you've done everything right," Nokia told her, "but what I need you to do now is hand him over to me. I will get him to safety and make sure he's treated. Okay?"

Maria nodded sombrely as she handed Sonic over to Nokia.

"He'll be okay, right?" Maria asked, her eyes wide with fright, like she was making the wrong choice for Sonic.

"He'll be fine," Nokia assured her, "I promise I won't let anything happen to him."

"Okay," Maria murmured out.

"Maria, I need you to go get changed and clean yourself up," Nokia ordered. "I need you and Shadow to get out of the city."

"But-"

"No buts Maria," Nokia said firmly," Now go."

Maria reluctantly went and grabbed the backpack from Rouge and went to the bathroom to change. Nokia looked over to Shadow.

"I don't think I need to tell you this but keep her safe."

"Like I wouldn't?" Shadow told her.

-XXX-

Once Maria was all changed into fresh clothes, she, Shadow and Rouge went down to the tracks and looked for a box car for them to get in.

"There's one" Rouge pointed out. The three of them ran over to it, "Seems like it's going toward Westoplis too." She looked over to the pair as the hopped up into the car.

"Take care guys," she said sadly.

"Oh!" Maria said, remembering what was currently in her possession. She pulled out the red Emerald and tried to hand it over to Rouge.

"Keep it," she said, "You two are going to need it way more. I'll tell Tails I never found it." She looked over to Shadow.

"You still have our communicator right?" she asked. Shadow nodded pulling it out as the trained lurched forward. Rouge gave a final wave before disappearing into the night as the train moved further.

"Some kind of a reunion this turned out to be," Maria joked as she sat down. Shadow came and sat beside her as they watched the world pass by from the open door not knowing what was in store for them next.

-XXX-

AN: The whole Sonic scene I've had planned out for YEARS and it's so nice to finally get it out. Thanks to everyone that is reading! I think I have one chapter left but who knows haha.

Darko out~